A violent teenage robber who posed as a wheelchair user to steal from a Staplehurst supermarket before assaulting a security guard. Davey Brown, 19, has now been jailed after launching stolen beer cans at a member of staff who tried to stop him leaving the store.
He arrived at Sainsbury’s in Station Road a short while later and pretended to be a wheelchair user, assisted by an accomplice. He then hid two crates of beer beneath a jacket on his lap and attempted to leave without paying.
A security guard challenged the thief who responded by punching the man and throwing beer bottles, cans, and other items at him. During the incident, a further shop employee was injured by one of the thrown items. Brown fled but was stopped and arrested by patrols within 30 minutes. Whilst being arrested he bombarded the officers with threats and abusive comments.
The 19 year old, from Staplehurst, was later charged with robbery, affray, two counts of damaging property, common assault, using threatening words and behaviour and using a motor vehicle on a road without insurance. He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was sentenced on Thursday 6 November to three years and one month’s imprisonment. He was also disqualified from driving.
A 17 year old boy was also arrested and charged in connection to the incident and was sentenced on 12 July to serve six months’ imprisonment in a young offenders’ institute.
Investigating officer, PC Ricky Strong, said:
‘Brown is a violent man who endangered another motorist, attacked a security guard and their colleague, and made threats to attending police officers.
‘He left a man with injuries requiring hospital treatment for simply carrying out his job. A custodial sentence means Brown will be unable to put any other members of the public at risk for some time.’